Titans, Texans to clash in AFC South

Houston gets chance to remember Titans

Published 5:30 am, Saturday, July 28, 2001

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- For Tennessee players, coaches and front-office executives who were Oilers before they became Titans, returning to Houston in 2002 to play the Texans will be almost a surreal experience.

Tennessee offensive line coach Mike Munchak, who played 12 seasons in Houston and spent the first three years of his coaching career on the home team's sideline in the Astrodome, was ecstatic when he found out the Titans and Texans will be part of the newly created AFC South.

"I'm excited that we're going to be in the same division as the Texans and that we'll be coming to Houston to play once a year," said Munchak, who was the Oilers' No. 1 pick in 1982. "It'll be weird, though, because Houston's pro football history will be on the visiting sideline.

"Think about it: When the Titans play the Texans, the visiting team will be the one that owns Houston's pro football records. The team's history is located in Nashville. We're the Tennessee Titans, and we started Houston's pro football tradition. Strange, huh?"

But that's a price everyone pays when an owner moves his team. In this case, the owner is Bud Adams, who moved the Oilers to Nashville in 1997 and renamed them the Titans.

"It'll be good to be back in Houston for football," said Munchak, who is being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. "Bruce (Matthews) and I know Houston's a great football city.

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"We've told some of the guys who only played in Houston a year or two near the end what a great football town Houston can be. They didn't have a chance to see it because of circumstances beyond our control.

"I'm talking about guys like Steve McNair (1995 rookie) Eddie George (1996), who never had a chance to experience it first-hand like Bruce and I did. When we come to Houston to play in their new stadium, guys like Steve and Eddie are going to know what Bruce and I have been talking about."

Matthews played his first 14 seasons in Houston. He continues to reside in Houston during the offseason. He has businesses in the area.

"It's a natural fit to have the Titans and Texans in the same division," Matthews said. "I know there are still some fans in Houston who have feelings for us, but I'm happy that the city has another NFL team. It'll be strange to be in that situation, that's for sure, but I think it'll also be a lot of fun."

Coach Jeff Fisher was the Oilers' defensive coordinator in 1994. He was promoted to interim coach 10 games into that season. He was hired as head coach the next year.

"I wasn't surprised when the Texans were put in the same division as us, Jacksonville and Indianapolis," Fisher said.

If Fisher had not signed another long-term extension with the Titans, he might have been hired for the Texans job that went to Dom Capers.

"It's going to be a very exciting rivalry, one that'll be very challenging for us for obvious reasons," Fisher said.

"It would be different if they were still playing in the Astrodome, but it'll be an exciting opportunity for us to go to Houston and play in the Texans' new stadium.

"Even though we've been gone for quite a while and we've established ourselves in Nashville, we've still got a lot of good friends in Houston."

Fisher, a Los Angeles native, is honest enough to admit that he never thought he would see another NFL team in Houston.

"When we left, I didn't think we'd see the NFL in Houston again, at least not anytime soon," Fisher said. "I thought Los Angeles would get a team before Houston.

"It's going to take the Texans some time, but the organization's been put together very well -- all the way from ownership to the staff."

"I think the division is going to be interesting, and it's not going to be easy," Reese said. "I think if we were still playing in the Astrodome it would have really brought back some memories.

"Since the Texans will have that brand-new stadium, it'll be my first time on either side, so I'm not sure that'll be an issue. You know, I think landing at the Houston airport and driving through the areas that you've been in and then getting around the Dome will be some memories."

Although Adams didn't want the Titans to be placed in the same division as the Texans, he relented and voted in favor of the AFC South lineup. Because of the division setup, Adams will continue to reside and do business in his hometown.

"I think one of the great things about him (Bud) is that he's pretty resilient," Reese said. "I was pretty impressed with how he reacted. I don't know (if) I would have been courageous enough to do that.

"But when all was said and done, when all those people lined up and said this is the way we're going to do it, everybody went for it. I think that's one of the great things about the old-timers in the NFL. At some point, they all realize this is the best thing for the NFL, and everybody said this is fine and we support it."

Like most of the others who played for Houston before moving to Nashville, Reese hasn't returned to this part of the country and admits he's excited about seeing Reliant Stadium for the first time.

"The crowd's going to be rabid when we make our first trip to Houston," Reese said. "But for us, it'll be a case of having to beat a division team. And I'm sure a lot of our friends in the area will want tickets."